Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-04

ing, and finally went out. The crowC
fquie'ly ignored the intended insult"
''Mr Lincoln was just as democratic
in the White House, believe" said.
eyes," assented Colonel Nicolsy, "snt
that went far to ward giving him his firm
hold on the hearts OF the people. It was
his custom, while he was President, tc
hold an informal reception between 1:
to l O'Clock eScd day, to near in person
the requests and wishes OF all sorts 81
people who chose to come to see him
Rlch and poor, white and black, crowded
J into his business office NOW Colonel Ls-
month";, shook hands and told him what
they wanted. He generally wrote q card
and referred the petitioner 10 the proper
department, out often he attended TO il
himself Men who wanted Office came
alleged Uuionists who wanted pay fol
losses; crsnks who showed him how to
put down the rebellion; mothers who
had sons in the army; relatives OF men
who hsd been ordered slot; tramps wno
were hard up aud wanted money or
transportation 20 enable them to go some
where It was like some ancient Druid
standing under Sn oak tree and dealing
out justice 20 the realm"
"Didn's these people exasperate Old
Abe sometimes?"
'fNot often. He listened patiently to
al, seldom projecting himself even from
| bores. l never saw hin angry but twice,
and then only momen sarilv. He turned
one man out OF the room and laid his
hand on his shoulder to hasten his de-
| psrture II necessary
! asked II Mr.. Lincoln comprehended
that he was in constant danger of his life.
"Oi course. 'said Colonel Nicolsy. "It
was often discussed between his friends
and himself. They would say, Now
Lincoln, you must look Out and be con-
stsntly on your guard. Some crank is
liAble to come along and kill you His
snsWer always WAS, IL will be care
lful. But 1 cannot discharge my duties
aud withdraw myself entirely from dan
ger of an assault. l see hundreds Of
strangers every daV, and if anybody has
the disposition to kill me he will find op-
portunity. To be absolutely safe, I
should lock myself up in box Threat
ening letters came, and these I always
showed TO Mr.. Lincoln, who generally
turned them over to the War Depart
ment."
asked Colonel Nicolay how much as
siStance he and Gay had got from con-
temporary memories.
"Almost none at all" ne said. 'I re-
member one solitary case of an incident
being told US which we did not know be-
fore and which had certain value. AS q
rule those volunteering information have
| been gentlemen who did not know Mr..
Lincoln very well aud on several coca
sions the offer has been made thus: u
am glad you are writing history Of Mr..
Lincoln. Me and Lincoln were intimate
friends and I can tell you of several in
teresting taings that you will need etc,
We have discovered that men, honest and
impartial, cannot often reCollect
aly conversation with accuracy
even snort tina. a Statesman,
whom l will call Brown, had some very
important correspondence with Mr.. Lin
coin in 1861, and l went to him after be
ginning this work in 1874 TO fad out
about a single point. He denied ever
having had any such correspondence OF
ever having written to Mr.. Lincoln CON
corning that matter or during that time,
and was quite astoRished when l produc
ed half dozen Of the letters. We have
concluded that, as rule, mere unassisteC
memory OF public or personal transac
lions is utterly unreliable after lapse OF
fifteen years. We do not rely upon It
our own or that of others, unless con
frmed by accessible data. There will moi
be, in the whole history, more than 6
dozen sentences quoted from Lincoln fol
which we depend wholly on memory
our own or anybody else's."
Lying around upon Colonel Nicolay'i
desks were piles of finished chapters II
foolscsp writing, and he said that the
entire work in manuscript would be about
two and 3 half feet high when laid thu!
upon the table.
Colonel Nicolay talks as well as hi
writes; aud though born in Germany
and resred by parents whose mother
tongue never fell into dlsuse, his pro-
nunciation and imitation ct speech are
those of native.
Colonel Hsy has returned from Europe
and he Is once more in his superb man.
sion on Lafayette Park, trying to recover
from a serious cold which he caught
while in New York. He and Mrs. Hay
spent the summer wholly in England
going from one cathedral town tc
another and deliberately enjoying 1t. he
looks not q day over forty, and will
his black shock of hair and soft full
beard parted in the middle, he is decidedly
q handsome man. He weighs, 1 should
think. 165-fortY-fve pounds more thar
his taller collaborstor. Clarence King
the geologist, was in town yesterday, and
meeting Hay at the club, they had &
friendly spat over the Bacon-Shakespeart
controversy.
"Ssratford is not once mentioned in al
Shakespeare's works." said King, tri-
umphantly, "while st. Adams, Bscon's
birthplace, is mentioned more than thirty
times"
"Well," said Hay, 'I have read the
Survey of the Fortieth Parallel through
with great care, and it doesn't mention
Brattleboro, VT, once"
"The Survey of the Fortieth Parallel
is Kings great work, and Brattlebnro his
native town. W. A. CRoFFUT.
BOYCOrTING THE OVERCOAT.